Module MOD-10 · 9 min · ACS PA.I.C

Reading METARs and TAFs

← Weather Theorydraft — pending CFI review

Why this matters in flight: The METAR and TAF are the two products you will read before every flight. Decoding them fluently turns a wall of abbreviations into a clear picture of what the weather is doing now and what it is expected to do while you are en route.

A METAR is an observation of current surface weather at an airport. It runs in a fixed order: the station identifier, the day and time in Zulu (UTC), wind direction and speed, visibility, weather phenomena, sky condition with cloud bases, the temperature and dewpoint in Celsius, and the altimeter setting prefixed with the letter A. Sky cover is coded FEW, SCT (scattered), BKN (broken), or OVC (overcast), and the ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer. A TAF is the forecast counterpart, describing expected conditions within about five statute miles of the airport, usually for 24 to 30 hours. It looks much like a METAR but adds change groups: FM marks a rapid change from a stated time, TEMPO marks brief temporary fluctuations, and BECMG marks a gradual change. The key distinction to keep straight is that a METAR reports what is observed now, while a TAF forecasts what is expected later.

Key terms

METAR
A routine observation of current surface weather at an airport.
TAF
A terminal aerodrome forecast of expected conditions near an airport.
Zulu time
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), used for all aviation weather.

Summary

A METAR observes current weather in a fixed order with Celsius temperatures and an A-prefixed altimeter; a TAF forecasts nearby conditions with FM/TEMPO/BECMG change groups. Observation now, forecast later.

Quick check ▾

One question on what you just read.

Question 1 of 1

Objective mastery: 15%

0 of 1 answered

In a METAR, the group "A2992" represents what?

Choose one answer
Knowledge check (4) →Ask about this lessonAll lessons in this module

Sources

Every claim traces to a source — paraphrased knowledge elements pointing at the governing FAA publication; not yet verified against a retrieved source.

  • AIM 7-1 / Aviation Weather Handbook FAA-H-8083-28 — Aeronautical Information Manual unverified
  • AIM 7-1 / Aviation Weather Handbook FAA-H-8083-28 — Aeronautical Information Manual unverified

Community

Ask for more detail or suggest additions to make this lesson better. Community input — not authoritative and not CFI-reviewed.

Sign in or create a free account to join the conversation.

No comments yet — be the first to help improve this lesson.